AP National

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia has declared three senior Montenegrin government officials persona non grata after they led a declaration in Montenegro’s parliament stating that genocide was committed in a World War II concentration camp operated by a pro-Nazi Croatian regime at the time. Croatia’s Foreign Ministry informed neighboring Montenegro in a diplomatic note on

AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — Goodbye, cattle call. Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines. The airline said it has been studying seating options, running tests and

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A British police officer has been suspended from all duties after a video was posted on social media that appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the floor of a terminal at Manchester Airport. Greater Manchester Police say the incident occurred

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Former first lady Melania Trump has a memoir coming out this fall, “Melania,” billed as “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence.” It’s the first memoir by Trump, who has made few public remarks in

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Emmanuel Macron has pledged to make France shine during the Olympics. Weaker than ever at home after recent elections, the French president hopes the Paris Games also will help his own star glitter again. The Olympics are the best way to convince the world to “choose France,” Macron said this

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The International Organization for Migration says more than a dozen migrants died and at least 150 others are missing after their boat capsized off Mauritania on their way to Europe, triggering a frantic search and rescue operation. There were 300 migrants on the boat that capsized on Monday near

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — The United Nations’ cultural agency is recommending that Laos invite a monitoring mission to the historic city of Luang Prabang. Concerns have been raised that the World Heritage Site could lose its coveted status because of a nearby dam project on the Mekong River. Laos seemed agreeable to the idea,

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Friday, with major markets apart from Shanghai and Taiwan logging modest gains. U.S. futures and oil prices rose. That followed a split Thursday on Wall Street, where general stocks and other formerly downtrodden areas of the market rose while superstar Big Tech

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An explosion ripped through the Russian-controlled Olenivka prison barracks two years ago, killing more than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war and leaving dozens injured. The Associated Press interviewed over a dozen survivors, investigators and families of the dead and estimated 120 missing still being held captive. All described evidence

Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine oil tanker has sunk in Manila Bay after encountering huge waves. The coast guard is working to determine whether the vessel is leaking oil — in what could be a major spill — after it rescued 16 of 17 crew members in a nighttime operation. The tanker

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The former prisoners of war still puzzle over the strange events leading up to the night now seared into their memories, when an explosion ripped through the Russian-controlled Olenivka prison barracks and killed so many comrades two years ago. Among the survivors: Kyrylo Masalitin, whose months in captivity and

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Kremlin. The Kremlin press service says the meeting took place on Wednesday. Putin and Assad last met in March 2023 in the Kremlin on the anniversary of Syria’s 12-year uprising-turned-civil war. At that meeting, Putin emphasized the Russian military’s role in stabilizing

The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics is set for Friday. Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). This will start the ceremony, not mark the end of it, another break from tradition. What time

Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A total of 270 flights were canceled at Germany’s busiest airports after environmental activists launched a coordinated effort to disrupt air travel across Europe at the height of the summer vacation season to highlight the threat posed by climate change. Frankfurt Airport said flights were halted for safety reasons

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that Russian and Chinese bombers flying together for the first time in international airspace off the coast of Alaska is a new show of expanding military cooperation and it raises concerns. The flights were not seen as a threat, and the bombers were tracked

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — One year has passed since a dramatic coup in Niger. Coup leaders said they deposed the West African nation’s elected government for two key reasons: its security and economic crises. But those challenges have persisted, even worsened. The country’s 26 million people are among the world’s youngest and poorest,

Associated Press The United Nations is calling for a flurry of efforts to reduce the human toll from soaring and searing temperatures in what it calls an extreme heat epidemic. Thursday’s report from 10 UN agencies and the secretary-general comes on the heels of three of the hottest days ever measured. Europe’s Copernicus climate service

Associated Press PIPER CITY, Ill. (AP) — An Associated Press analysis of county tax data across three states — Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska — found wind companies rank among the biggest taxpayers in many rural communities, with their total tax bills at times outstripping that of large farms, power plants and other major businesses. Local

Associated Press Complex and confusing taxation systems make it easier for wind’s opponents, some citing misinformation, to say that wind has fallen short of its promises. According to an independent AP analysis, tax income from wind can make up as much 10% of counties’ taxes. An AP analysis of three other states found wind companies

Associated Press Adding a citizenship question to the census reduces the participation of people who aren’t U.S. citizens, particularly those from Latin American countries. That’s according to a new study released last month. The study says noncitizens are less likely to fill out the census questionnaire if there is a citizenship question, exacerbating undercounts of

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Due to warmer temperatures and increasing urbanization, the market for cooling systems is expanding in Africa. But the chemicals that make air conditioning and refrigeration work are very potent at heating the planet, and an older one called R-22, which is still very common in Africa, is also harmful

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Britain are launching a new technology security initiative expected to boost economic growth and deepen collaboration on critical technologies. The two countries announced their collaboration on Wednesday, during the first official visit to India by the new British foreign minister. Foreign Secretary David Lammy held talks with his counterpart,

Associated Press BUNDIBUGYO, Uganda (AP) — A nonprofit group in rural Uganda says domestic violence is so widespread that it’s hard to find a woman who isn’t affected. It has launched a campaign to educate communities and also to instill fear in abusers. An accused perpetrator is asked to sign a “reconciliation form” in which

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The State Election Board in Georgia once toiled in relative obscurity. Now it hosts raucous meetings where public comment lasts for hours and attendees loudly heckle board members and speakers. The shift highlights how election administration has become scrutinized and politicized nationwide. Republican Party leaders take credit for placing a

Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Thousands of secret law enforcement documents obtained by The Associated Press offer a never-before-seen window into a culture of corruption among U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents who parlayed the agency’s shadowy money laundering operations into a worldwide pursuit of binge drinking and illicit sex. Among the documents is a recovered

Associated Press UVALDE, Texas (AP) — A former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer who was part of the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School has pleaded not guilty during a court appearance. Adrian Gonzales was one of the nearly 400 law enforcement personnel who responded to the scene

Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — In a WhatsApp chat that quickly devolved into depravity, a group of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents boasted about their “world debauchery tour” of “boozing and whoring” on the government’s dime. They swapped lurid images of their latest sexual conquests. And at one point they even joked about “forcible anal

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A strong typhoon made landfall on China’s southeastern coast on Thursday evening after sweeping across the nearby island of Taiwan, where it caused landslides and flooding in low-lying areas and left three dead. Typhoon Gaemi had swept up the western Pacific, intensifying seasonal rains earlier in the week in the Philippines,

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal soon with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return home. Harris said she had a “frank and constructive” conversation with Netanyahu

Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is propelling her presidential push by speaking Thursday to the American Federation of Teachers, the first labor union to formally endorse her candidacy. Having emerged as the likely Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden exited the race, Harris intends to travel aggressively to spread her message

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China has ratcheted up its efforts to spur slowing growth by cutting a key policy rate and doubling subsidies for electric vehicles bought to replace older cars. The moves Thursday coincided with a downturn in world stocks that extended losses in Chinese markets that have swooned this year while

Associated Press A rare neurological disorder robbed Rep. Jennifer Wexton of her ability to speak clearly. But with the help of a powerful artificial intelligence program, the Virginia Democrat will use a clone of her voice to deliver what is believed to be the first speech on the House floor ever given via a voice

Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — As state treasurer, Vivek Malek pushed Missouri’s main retirement system to pull its investments from Chinese companies, making Missouri among the first nationally to do so. Now Malek is touting the Chinese divestment as he seeks reelection in an Aug. 6 Republican primary against challengers who also are

Associated Press VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian foreign ministers have gathered in the capital of Laos for a regional forum that runs through Saturday. They will also be meeting with their counterparts from other nations to discuss their strategic partnerships in issues including the economy, security, climate and energy. Discussions on humanitarian assistance to

Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii judge is temporarily blocking the state from enforcing a law requiring the licensing of practitioners and teachers of traditional Native Hawaiian midwifery. The temporary stay is for while a lawsuit challenging the statute wends its way through the courts. A group of women who are plaintiffs in the

AP Airlines Writer The Justice Department submitted an agreement with Boeing on Wednesday in which the aerospace giant will plead guilty to a fraud charge for misleading U.S. regulators who approved the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed, killing 346 people. The detailed plea agreement was filed in federal district court in

Associated Press The FBI has searched the Long Island home of a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. The former staffer, Linda Sun, has not been accused of wrongdoing. An FBI spokesman declined to release details beyond confirming court-authorized law enforcement activity on Tuesday. The New York Times first reported the search of

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A record 17 California condor chicks hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds, officials announced Wednesday. All the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program, the LA Zoo said in a statement. The

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country’s democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Insisting that “the defense of democracy is more

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dozens of wildfires are blazing across several western states, with some areas under air quality alerts or advisories. The Durkee Fire in Oregon, the largest active blaze in the U.S. and one of 31 fires in the state, covered nearly 400 square miles and an air quality warning was

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Police say two more state troopers who were part of the Karen Read murder trial over the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend are now facing an internal affairs investigation. The Massachusetts State Police announced Wednesday that Detective Lt. Brian Tully and Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik are under investigation along

Associated Press ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court halted the immediate release Wednesday of a man whose murder conviction was overturned — just as the man was about to walk free. A St. Louis Circuit Court judge had ordered Christopher Dunn, now 52, to be released by 6 p.m. CDT Wednesday and

Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has unveiled a global alliance against hunger and poverty in Rio de Janeiro. He described the initiative as one of Brazil’s top priorities for its current presidency of the Group of 20 nations. Lula was seeking to bolster support ahead of

Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Families of people incarcerated in Alabama prisons have described assaults, rapes, extortions, deaths and rampant drug availability and overdoses behind bars at a legislative public hearing. The Joint Legislative Prison Committee held the hearing Wednesday to take public input amid Alabama’s ongoing prison crisis. At least four speakers described

AP Sports Writers The NBA signed its 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league. The media rights deals were approved by the league’s Board of Governors last

Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Powerful winds and hundreds of lightning strikes from thunderstorms rattled eastern Oregon and Idaho Wednesday afternoon, cutting power and stoking fires, including one in Oregon that is already the largest active blaze in the nation. The Durkee Fire, burning near the Oregon-Idaho border about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west

Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court in New Orleans has ruled unconstitutional a method the Federal Communications Commission uses to fund telephone and broadband services for rural and low-income users. The immediate implications of Wednesday’s 9-7 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals were unclear. Dissenting judges said the

AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Israel’s national anthem was loudly jeered before its soccer team kicked off play at the Paris Olympics against Mali. The game began with a massive security presence outside the stadium amid an increasingly strained international climate that has Paris’ safety efforts squarely in the spotlight. The Israel team arrived

Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A judge says controversial social media personality Andrew Tate’s defamation lawsuit against a Florida woman who accused him of imprisoning her in Romania can go to trial. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Joseph Curley ruled that the widely followed former professional kickboxer and his brother, Tristan, can present

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The Eiffel Tower beach volleyball stadium, set next to Paris’ most iconic monument, is poised to be a centerpiece of the Olympics. The 12,000-seat venue hosted its first training session Wednesday under sunny Parisian skies. The atmosphere was a blend of excitement and reverence. Athletes like Italy’s Adrian Carambula, the

AP Entertainment Writer PARIS (AP) — When Snoop Dogg agreed to become an Olympic torch bearer, the hip-hop star recalled an emotional, iconic moment watching Muhammad Ali light the cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Now, Snoop Dogg hopes to recreate some of that magic for a global audience watching the Paris Olympics. He’ll be

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Taylor Swift fans who missed her world tour or those who can’t get enough of her can catch her at the museum this summer. As a celebration of her double run of sold-out shows in London on her Eras Tour, real items from Swift’s different musical eras have been integrated